Cold Spanish Soup // Andalusian Gazpacho
Andalusian gazpacho is the classic cold Spanish soup that the world can't get enough of, and for good reason. Here's how to make a super-flavorful, beautifully balanced, silky batch of this dreamy soup.
Servings: 4
Calories: 52kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (709 grams) ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
- ½ pound (227 grams) bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about one medium)
- ½ pound (227 grams) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about one medium)
- ½ small red onion or 1 medium shallot chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ounce (28 grams) crustless white bread (about one slice), torn into pieces
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Into a large bowl, place the chopped tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic, salt, and bread.
- Stir thoroughly to distribute the salt.
- Let sit for 30 minutes, so that the salt infuses the vegetables and begins to draw out some of their moisture.
- Pour all contents of the bowl into a blender and process until smooth.
- With the blender running, stream in the olive oil and vinegar and continue blending until creamy.
- Rinse and dry the original mixing bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer overtop. Pour the soup through the strainer into the bowl, stirring and pressing with a large spoon or silicone spatula.
- Chill gazpacho for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- To garnish, if you like, drizzle with additional olive oil and/or sherry vinegar and top with finely diced tomato, pepper, and/or cucumber, and maybe a few leafy herbs (parsley, cilantro, and chives would work well).
Video
Notes
- To core the tomatoes, remove the stem end and any tough bits in the center. You can leave the seeds — they're full of umami, and any rough parts will get strained out before serving.
- Strictly speaking, green bell peppers are traditional. I often use a combination of green and red. You can use any color.
- For the bread, use something soft and mild. You can use a piece of white sandwich bread, a piece of baguette with the crust removed,
- You can make this recipe in any blender, but we love love love our Vitamix.
- You can make this soup in the morning and keep it chilled until dinnertime.
- Store leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 567mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g